Dynemicin A (Compound 1 shown below), ##STR1## where Me is methyl, is a potent antibacterial and anticancer agent recently isolated from Micromonospora chersina [(a) Konishi et. al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112:3715-3716 (1990); (b) Konishi et al., J. Antibiot., 42:1449-1452 (1989)]. Its striking molecular structure combines characteristics of both the enediyne [Golik et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 109:3461-3462 (1987); Golik et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 109:3462-2464 (1987); Lee et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 109:3464-3466 (1987); Ellestad et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 109:3466-3468 (1987)] and the anthracycline ["Anthracycline Antibiotics", H. S. El Khadem, ed., Academic Press, New York (1982) and "Recent Aspects in Anthracyclinone Chemistry", Tetrahedron Symposia-in-Print No. 17, T. R. Kelly, ed., Tetrahedron; 40:4537-4794 (1984)] classes of antibiotics, and presents a considerable challenge to organic synthesis as well as a unique opportunity for the development of new synthetic technology and therapeutic agents.
The calicheamicin and esperamicin derivatives are perhaps the best known of the enediyne compounds. For a key paper describing the first synthesis of calicheamicinone, see: (a) Cabal et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112:3253 (1990). For other selected studies of model systems in the area of calicheamicins-esperamicins, see: (b) Nicolaou et al, J. Am. Chem., Soc., 110:4866-4868 (1988); (c) Nicolaou et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 110:7247-7248 (1988); (d) Schoenen et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 30:3765-3768 (1989); (e) Magnus et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 110:6921-6923 (1988); (f) Kende et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 29:4217-4220 (1988).